Multi-position control valve



March 5, 1968 I R. c. BUELER 3,371,686

MULTI-POSITION CONTROL VALVE Filed Dec. 22, 1966 INVENTOR RICHARD C.BUELER BY gfp- United States Patent OfiFice 3,371,686 MULTI-POSITIONCONTROL VALVE Richard C. Bueler, Glendale, Mo., assignor to WagnerElectric Corporation, Newark, N.J., a corporation of Delaware 1 FiledDec. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 604,024

14 Claims. (Cl. 137625.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multi-position control valve including afluid pressure responsive member movable toward an operative position inresponse to fluid pressure supplied thereto, and when in said operativeposition, a cam actuated valve operator can be moved toward a dumpingposition opening a valve element carried by said member to effect adumping application of the supplied fluid pressure and toward anexhausting position disengaged from said valve element to vent theapplied fluid pressure. Opposed differential areas are provided on saidmember in a predetermined ratio, and the valve operator and said memberare cooperatively movable to a metering position establishing an appliedfluid pressure in a ratio with the supplied fluid pressure substantiallyequal to the ratio between the differential areas on which the suppliedand applied fluid pressures respectively act.

Background of the invention This invention relates in general to controlvalves and in particular to those which are selectively actuated betweena plurality of predetermined positions.

In the past, two-way or push-pull valves operable between charging andventing positions Were utilized in conjunction with a variableapplication valve to effect the ratio change thereof, as shown in UnitedStates Patent No. 3,288,539 issued to Richard C. Bueler on Nov. 29,1966; however, one of the disadvantageous features of said prior arttwo-way or push-pull valves was their inability to effect an infinitelyvariable ratio change when positioned to effect a ratio application forsaid variable application valve. One of the objects of the presentinvention is to provide a control valve which overcomes theaforementioned undesirable or disadvantageous features, as well asothers, and another object of the present invention is to provide atoggle-actuated valve in which a predetermined ratio, different than a1:1 ratio and in addition thereto, can be effected between the suppliedand applied fluid pressure supplied to said control valve and thatapplied therefrom. These and other objects and advantageous featureswill become apparent hereinafter.

Summary Briefly, the present invention embodies a multi-position controlvalve including a housing having a pair of application members movabletherein between operative and inoperative positions for controlling theapplication through said housing of fluid pressure supplied thereto, oneof said application means being selectively movable between itsoperative and inoperative positions to respectively effect and obviatethe application of the supplied fluid pressure through said housing whenthe other of said application means is urged toward its operativeposition in response to the fluid pressure supplied there to. Theinvention also embodies opposed differential areas on said otherapplication means for predetermining the ratio between the magnitudes ofthe supplied and applied fiuid pressures.

3,371,686 Patented Mar. 5, 1958 Description of the drawings 'controlvalve embodied in the present invention in crosssection, and

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2in detail, a multiposition or toggle-type control valve 1 is shownhaving upper and lower housings 2, 3 with a seal 4 interposedtherebetween, said housings being interconnected against displacement bysuitable means, such as a plurality of studs 5.

The lower housing 3 is provided with a stepped bore and counterbore 6, 7having a shoulder 8 therebetween, and an inlet port 9, which is adaptedto receive fluid pressure selectively supplied thereto, such as from anapplication valve (not shown), is also provided in said lower housingintersecting said bore at the lower end thereof. The upper housing 2 isprovided with stepped bores 10, 11 therethrough which aresubstantiallycoaxial with the lower housing bore and counterbore 6, 7,and a shoulder 12 is defined at the juncture of said stepped bores. Anoutlet port 13, which is adapted for connection with a motor (notshown), is provided in the upper housing 2, and a passage 14 has one endconnecting with said outlet port and the other end thereof intersectingwith the lower end portion 15 of said upper housing in pressure fluidcommunication with the lower housing counterbore 7, said end portion 15also having an abutment flange 16 thereon in said lower housingcounterbore. An exhaust port or passage 17 is also provided in saidupper housing intersecting with the stepped more 10 adjacent to theshoulder 12. A pair of opposed toggle mounting ears or flanges 18 areintegrally provided in the upper housing 2 having a toggle receivingslot 19 therebetween, and aligned mounting or bearing receivingapertures 20 are provided in said flanges, respectively.

A stepped application member or piston 21 is slidably received in thelower housing bore and counterbore 6, 7 and is provided with peripheralseals 22, 23 for sealing engagement with said lower housing 'bore andcounterbore, respectively. The piston 21 is movable between the motionlimiting abutments defined by the shoulder 8 and the upper housingabutment flange 16, and said piston is provided with opposed ends 24, 25which define with the end wall of the bore '6 and the upper housing endportion 15 opposed inlet and outlet chamber 26, 27 in open pressurefluid communication with the inlet and outlet ports 9, 13, respectively.A stepped connecting passage or bore 28 is axially provided between theopposed piston ends 24, 25 having an annular shoulder or valve seat 29defined therein, and a valve member or element 30 is urged by a valvespring 31 into seating engagement with said valve seat normally closingsaid stepped passage to interrupt pressure fluid communication betweenthe inlet and outlet ports 9, 13, said valve spring being seated againstdisplacement in an annular spring receiving groove 32 provided in saidstepped passage adjacent to the lower end thereof.

Another stepped application member or valve stem 33.

is slidably received in the upper housing stepped bores 10, 11 and -isprovided with a seal 34 for sealing engagement with the stepped bore 10.The lower or free end of the stem 33 extends coaxially into the lowerhousing counterbore 7 defining a valve seat 35 for operative engagementwith the valve element 30, and an exhaust passage 36 is provided in saidstem having one end extending coaxially through the valve seat 35 andthe other end thereof opening into the upper housing stepped bore 10 inpressure fluid communication with the exhaust port 17. A cam bearing orfollower surface 37 is provided on the upper end of the stem 33, and areturn spring 38 biased between the upper housing shoulder 12 and saidstem normally urges said cam follower surface toward followingengagement with a multi-position or toggle mechanism, indicatedgenerally at 39.

The multi-position mechanism 39 is provided with a hub or eccentricportion 40 which is received in the housing slot 19 in guidingengagement between the housing flanges 18 and eccentrically rotatablymounted about a fixed axis on a bearing 41 fixedly received in thebearing mounting apertures 20 of said housing flanges. Eccentric cams orcam surfaces 42, 43 and 44 are defined generally at the lower end of thehub portion 40 for positioning engagement with the cam follower Surface37 of the stem 33, and a manually operated, force applying lever or arm45 is integrally provided at the upper end of said hub portion.

In the operation, if it is desired to effect a ratio between the fluidpressure supplied to the control valve 1 and the fluid pressure appliedtherefrom, the toggle arm 45 is manually positioned to engage the cam 43with the cam follower surface 37, as shown, whereby the stem 33 andvalve seat 35 thereof are moved downwardly against the return spring 38to a predetermined ratio or metering position. Supplied fluid pressureP, at the outlet port 9 acts on the effective area A of the piston 21 tocreate a force P A to move said piston from its inoperative position inengagement with the housing shoulder 8 upwardly toward an operativeposition, and the upward movement of said piston initially sealablyengages the valve element with the stern valve seat closing the exhaustpassage 36 and thereafter disengages the piston valve seat 29 from saidvalve element to establish pressure fluid communication between theinlet and outlet ports 9, 13. The fluid pressure flows from the inletport 9 through the lower housing bore 8, the piston stepped passage 28,the lower housing counterbore 7 and the upper housing passage 14 to theoutlet port 13. The established or applied fluid pressure P at theoutlet port 13 acts on the effective area A of the piston 21 to createanother force P A in opposition to the force P A and opposing furtherupward movement of said piston. When the magnitude of the applied fluidpressure P attains a value so that the force P A is substantially equalto the opposing force P A the piston 21 is moved downwardly toward alapped position wherein the valve element 30 is in lapped engagementwith the piston and stem valve seats 29, 35. Since the differentialareas are defined in a predetermined ratio, it is apparent that theapplied fluid pressure P acting on the larger area A is of lessermagnitude than the supplied fluid pressure P acting on the smaller areaA and it is also apparent that the ratio between the magnitudes of thesupplied and applied pressures P P is substantially inverselyproportional to the ratio between the areas A A Of course, if thesupplied fluid pressure P is increased, the component parts of thecontrol valve 1 will function as described hereinbefore to attain aproportionally increased applied fluid pressure P If the supplied fluidpressure P is reduced, the force P A is correspondingly reduced so thatthe force P A then moves the piston 21 downwardly to disengage the valveelement 30 from the stem seat 35 and effect a metered reduction of theapplied fluid pressure P to the atmosphere through the stern exhaustpassage 36, the housing bore 10, and the exhaust port 17. When themagnitude of the force F; A is reduced to a value substantially equal tothat of the opposing force P A due to the reduction of the applied fluidpressure P the piston 21 is again moved upwardly toward its lappedposition with the valve element in lapped engagement between the pistonand stem valve seats 29, 35, respectively.

When the supplied fluid pressure P at the inlet port 9 is exhausted oreliminated, the force P A is also eliminated, and the force P A returnsthe piston 21 toward its inoperative position disengaging the valveelement 30 from the stem valve seat 35, and in this manner, the appliedfluid pressure P is exhausted through the stem exhaust passage 36, thehousing bore 10 and the exhaust port 17 thereby eliminating the force PA In the event the operator desires a non-ratio or dumping applicationwherein the supplied and applied fluid pressures are substantially in a1:1 ratio, the toggle arm 45 is manually moved to position the cam 44with the stem follower surface 37, and in this manner, the stem 33 ismoved further downwardly in the housing bores 10, 11 and counterbore 7to initially engage the valve seat 35 thereof with the valve element 35closing the stem exhaust passage 36 and thereafter move said valveelement to a wide open or non-metering position disengaged from thepiston valve seat 29 to establish wide open pressure fluid communicationbetween the inlet and outlet ports 9, 13. In other words, the suppliedand applied fluid pressures P P at the inlet and outlet ports 9, 13,respectively, have substantially equal magnitudes, i.e., substantiallyin a 1:1 ratio since the predetermined non-metering position of the stem35 and valve element 30, as described hereinbefore, precludes meteringmovement of the piston 21 so that the supplied fluid pressure P isdumped from the inlet port 9 to the outlet port 13. With the stem 33 andvalve 30 in their non-metering positions, it is, of course, obvious thatthe substantially equal supplied and applied fluid pressures P P actingon the smaller and larger effective areas A A creates opposing forces PA and P A respectively, wherein the magnitude of force F; A is greaterthan that of the force P A therefore, the larger force P A urges thepiston 21 toward its inoperative position in engagement with the housingshoulder 8 against the smaller force P A In the event the operatordesires to obviate flow through the control valve 1 and positivelyisolate the supplied fluid pressure P while venting the applied fluidpressure P the toggle arm 45 is manually moved to position the cam 42with the stem follower surface 37, and in this manner, the force of thestem spring 38 moves the stem 33 upwardly toward a venting or exhaustingposition wherein the stern valve seat 35 is concertedly moved upwardlyin the housing counterbore 7 toward a position completely disengagedfrom the valve element 30; and in this manner, the outlet port 13 isvented to the atmosphere, as described hereinabove. With the stem 33 andvalve seat 35 thereof predeterminately maintained in their ventingpositions, the supplied fluid pressure P at the inlet port 9 acts on thepiston area A to create the force P A which urges the piston 21 upwardlyfrom its inoperative position in engagement with the housing shoulder 8into abutting or motion limiting engagement with the abutment flange 1 6on the lower end 15 of the housing 2; however, this upward movement ofsaid piston is predeterminately limited by the engagement thereof withthe flange 16 to obviate operative engagement between the valve element30 and stem valve seat 35 and thereby prevent pressure fluidcommunication between the inlet and outlet ports 9, 13. Therefore, withthe piston 21 urged into engagement with the housing flange 16 by theforce P A and the stem 33 in its venting position, it is obvious thatthe stem valve seat 35 and the valve element 30 are maintained inpredetermined spaced relation to positively vent the outlet port 13 toatmosphere and that the engagement between the piston valve seat 29 andvalve element 30 positively isolates the supplied fluid pressure at theinlet port 9.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that a novel multiposition controlvalve is provided meeting the objects and advantages therefor set forthhereinbefore, as well as others, as defined by the claims which follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege isclaimed are defined as follows:

1. A control valve comprising a housing, fluid pressure responsive meansand selectively operable means relatively movable in said housingbetween inoperative and operative positions and between a plurality ofpreselected positions, respectively, for controlling the applicationthrough said housing of fluid pressure supplied thereto, saidselectively operable means being movable relative to said fluid pressureresponsive means in response to an applied force between one and otherpreselected positions to respectively effect and obviate the applicationof the supplied fluid pressure through said housing when said fluidpressure responsive means is urged toward its operative position, and afluid pressure responsive area on said fluid pressure responsive means,said fluid pressure responsive means being urged toward its operativeposition upon the subjection of said area to the supplied fluidpressure.

2. The control valve according to claim 1, comprising another area onsaid fluid pressure responsive means and opposed to said first namedarea, said other area being responsive to the applied fluid pressure tourge said fluid pressure responsive means toward its inoperativeposition.

3. The control valve according to claim 2, wherein said other area ispredeterminately greater than said first named area to predetermine theratio between the magnitudes of the supplied and applied fluid pressuresrespectively acting on said first named and other areas.

4. The control valve according to claim 1, comprising another fluidpressure responsive area on said fluid pressure responsive means inopposition to and predeterminately greater than said first named area,said selectively operable means also being selectively movable relativeto said fluid pressure responsive means in response to an applied forcetoward a third preselected position to estab lish the applied fluidpressure when said fluid pressure responsive means is in its inoperativeposition, the supplied and applied fluid pressures acting on said firstnamed and other areas, respectively, to establish a differential forcefor urging said fluid pressure responsive means toward the inoperativeposition thereof.

5. A control valve comprising a housing 'having a pressure fluid flowpassage therethrough, means movable in said housing and definingtherewith said flow passage including valve means cont-rolling pressurefluid flow through said flow passage, an effective fluid pressureresponsive area on said means, said means being urged toward anoperative position in said flow passage upon the subjection of said areato fluid pressure supplied in said flow passage, and valve control meansselectively movable in said housing and relative to said first namedmeans between a plurality of predetermined positions, said valve controlmeans being selectively movable toward one predetermined position inresponse to an applied force to engage and move said valve means towarda position in said flow passage effecting the application therethroughof the supplied fluid pressure and being selectively movable towardanother predetermined position in response to an applied forcedisengaged from said valve means to vent the applied fluid pressure tothe atmosphere when said first named means is urged toward the operativeposition thereof.

6. The controlvalve according to claim 5, comprising another fluidpressure responsive area on said first named means in opposed relationwith said first named area, said other area being responsive to theapplied fluid pressure to create another force in opposition to thefirst named force of the supplied fluid pressure acting on said firstnamed area and urging said first named means toward its operativeposition.

7. The control valve according to claim 6, wherein said other area ispredeterminately greater than said first named area to predetermine theratio between the magnitudes of the supplied and applied fluidpressures.

8. The control valve according to claim 5, comprising another fluidpressure responsive area on said first named means opposed to andpredeterminately greater than said first named area, and other meanswithin said housing for abutment with said first named means anddefining the inoperative position thereof, said valve control means alsobeing selectively movable relative to said first named means in responseto an applied force toward a third predetermined position to actuatesaid valve means when said first named means is in its inoperativeposition, the supplied and applied fluid pressures acting on said firstnamed and other areas, respectively, to establish a differential forceurging said first named means toward its inoperative position.

9. The control valve according to claim 5, wherein said first namedmeans comprises piston means slidable in said housing and having opposedends in said flow passage, one of said opposed ends defining saideffective area and the other of said opposed ends defining anothereffective area responsive to the applied fluid pressure and beingopposed to and in a predetermined ratio with said first named areawherein the magnitude of the applied fluid pressure is in apredetermined ratio with that of the supplied fluid pressure, passagemeans in said piston means between said opposed ends and defining aportion of said flow passage, and a valve seat on said piston means incircumscribing relation with said passage means, said valve means beingnormally urged into engagement with said valve seat to close saidpassage means and being disengaged from said valve seat upon actuationby said valve control means.

10. The control valve according to claim 5, wherein said valve controlmeans-comprises a stern slidable in said housing and having a free endportion defining a valve seat for operative engagement with said valvemeans, exhaust passage means in said stem having one end extendingthrough said valve seat and the other end thereof in open pressure fluidcommunication with the atmosphere, said exhaust passage being closedupon the engagement of said valve seat with said valve means, and anapplied force receiving end on said stem opposite said free end portion.

11. The control valve according to claim 5, wherein said first namedmeans comprises stepped piston means slidable in said housing and havingopposed ends, one of said opposed ends defining said area and the otherof said opposed ends defining another effective area responsive to theapplied fluid pressure and being opposed to and predeterminately greaterthan said first named area wherein the magnitude of the applied fluidpressure is inversely proportional to that of the supplied fluidpressure, passage means in said piston means between said opposed endsthereof, a valve seat on said piston means about said passage means,said valve means being normally urged into engagement with said valveseat closing said passage means, said valve control means comprising astern mem her having an intermediate portion slidable in said housingand opposed end portions, one of said end portions defining anothervalve seat for operative engagement with said valve means and the otherof said ends defining an applied force receiving portion, return springmeans urging said stem in a direction to disengage said other valve seatfrom said valve means, and an exhaust passage in said stem extendingthrough said other valve seat, said exhaust passage being closed uponthe engagement of said other valve seat with said valve means.

12. The control valve according to claim 5, comprising opposed ends onsaid first named means, one of said opposed ends defining said effectivearea and the other of said opposed ends defining another effective arearesponsive to the applied fluid pressure and being in a predeterminedratio with said first named effective area, said flow passage includingopposed inlet and outlet chambers respectively adjacent to said firstnamed and other effective areas, passage means in said first named meansbetween said inlet and outlet chambers, and inlet and outlet ports insaid housing and respectively connected with said inlet and outletchambers, said valve means being normally urged toward a position insaid passage means interrupting pressure fluid flow therethrough, anexhaust port in said housing, and said valve control means including aportion extending into said outlet chamber and defining a valve seat foroperative engagement with said valve means, and exhaust passage means insaid valve control means extending through said valve seat for ventingsaid outlet port to said exhaust port, said exhaust passage means beingclosed upon the engagement of said valve seat with said valve means.

13. The control valve according to claim 5, comprising selectivelyoperable means pivotally mounted on said housing and having a pluralityof eccentric cam means thereon, a surface on said valve control meansurged into following engagement with said cam means, said selectivelyoperable means being pivoted in response to an operator applied force toengage one of said cam means with said surface and effect the appliedforce movement of said valve control means toward its one predeterminedposition and to also engage another of said cam means with said surfaceto effect the applied force movement of said valve means toward itsother predetermined position.

14. The control valve according to claim 8, comprising applied forcetransmitting means pivotally mounted on said housing and having threeeccentric cam means there- On, a surface on said valve control means forfollowing engagement with said cam means, said applied forcetransmitting means being selectively movable in response to an operatorapplied force thereon to respectively engage said three cam means withsaid surface and effect the applied force movement of said valve controlmeans toward its one, other and third predetermined positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,316 8/1939 Sittert 137-62752,841,178 7/1958 Schultz l37627.5 2,854,289 9/1958 Schnell 137627.5 X3,026,908 3/1962 Blair 137-6275 3,096,789 7/1963 Horowitz 137627.53,224,815 12/1965 Horowitz 137-6275 X CLARENCE R. GORDON, PrimaryExaminer.

